By Express News Service
ROURKELA: The Sundargarh unit of the Odisha Secondary School Teachers’ Association (OSSTA) on Friday demanded the district administration to permit sufficient time for lecturers to hitch ballot obligation contemplating the difficulties they’re prone to face.
Earlier on February 9, OSSTA had written to the State Election Commission on this regard following which the district administrations of Puri, Balasore, Bhadrak and Khurda amongst others reportedly prolonged ballot obligation becoming a member of time by a day.
Stating that Sundargarh administration is but to take any resolution on this regard, district OSSTA secretary Santosh Nayak mentioned lecturers on election obligation are a harried lot given the hectic schedule assigned. Teachers of far-flung areas have been instructed to report at respective block workplaces by 7 am a day earlier than polling. From there, they’d gather polling supplies after crucial formalities and attain respective polling stations at distant places by the night after which preparations like creation of voting compartments, marking of prohibited and voting areas, show of voters’ lists, and many others need to be made.
Each presiding officer must then signal at the very least 1,200 poll papers and begin voting by 7 am subsequent morning, he mentioned. For neutral conduct of election, lecturers of respective blocks and cities have been deployed at faraway blocks.
While some lecturers of Bonai block have been given election obligation in Hemgir block greater than 210 km away, few girl lecturers of Balishankara block are deployed for Lathikata which is over 135 km away. They are anticipated to report at 7 am on their very own association, Nayak identified including the administration ought to take into account the sensible difficulties to permit sooner or later additional time as per the earlier apply.
